His collection of drawings, which amounted to upwards of nine hundred, were purchased by the drawings are now all fixed in the British Museum, for the help and information of those in future generations, that may be curious or studious in Natural History. Sir Hans, in the decline of his life, left London, and retired to his manor-house at Chelsea, where he resided about fourteen years before he died. After his retirement to Chelsea, he requested it as a favour to him (though I embraced his request as an honour done to myself), that I would visit him every week, in order to divert him, for an hour or two, with the common news of the town, and with any thing particular that should happen amongst his acquaintance of the Royal Society, and other ingenious gentlemen, many of whom I was much conversant with; and I seldom missed drinking coffee with him on a Saturday during the whole time of his retirement at Chelsea. He was so infirm as to be wholly confined to his house, except sometimes, though rarely, taking a little air in his garden in a wheeled chair; and this confinement made him very desirous to see any of his old acquaintance to amuse him. During this latter part of his life, he was frequently petitioned for charity by some decayed branches of eminent men, late of his acquaintance, who were famous for their learned works, &c.; which petitions he always received, and considered with attention; and, provided they were not found fraudulent, they were always answered by his charitable donations. He has often desired that I would enquire into the merits of such petitioners; and, if found satisfactory, he commissioned me to convey his bounty to the distressed. The last time I saw him, I was greatly surprized and concerned to find so good a man in the agonies of death; this was on the 10th of January, 1753, at four o'clock in the afternoon: he died on the 11th, at four in the morning. I continued with him later than any one of his relations; but was obliged to retire, his last agonies being beyond what I could bear; though, under his pain and weakness of body, he seemed to retain a great firmness of mind and resignation to the will of God. "The third of my patrons was the great Richard Mead, M. D. He was certainly magnanimous beyond the common measure, and deserved the title of great in as extensive a sense as any man in his station could do. He, as well as Sir Hans Sloane, died in the highest stations of physic they could arrive at, viz. Physician in Ordinary to the King. Dr. Mead, indeed, never was at the head of the College of Physicians in London; but it was because he always absolutely declined it, for he had been elected into that honourable station, but never could be persuaded to accept of it. His personal service, his ample fortune, his house, and every thing in his power, always contributed, in the most extensive manner, to the promotion of learning, science, arts, mechanics, and, in short, every thing that tended to the public benefit and honour of his country, or was of use to particular late Earl of Bute, whose noble descendant, the present Marquis, would confer a favour on the particular members of the community he lived in. His generosity was indeed so diffusive, that he may be justly deemed a benefactor to the whole community; whilst, instead of hoarding up that great wealth his practice gained to raise a vast estate, as he night easily have done, his public spirit was unconfined, and he was contented to leave behind him a moderate fortune only. The worthy Dr. Askew, from a laudable veneration for the memory and public character of so great a patron of learning, &c. caused a fine marble bust of him to be made by one of the most eminent Sculptors of the present age, which is placed in the College of Physicians, London. And, on this occasion, I cannot help informing succeeding generations, that they may see the real features of Dr. Mead in this said bust; for I, who was as well acquainted with his face as any one living, do pronounce this bust of him to be so like, that, as often as I see it, my mind is filled with the strongest idea of the original." The following anecdote respecting this bust was communicated to me by Dr. Ducarel. Roubilliac agreed with Dr. Askew for 50l.; the Doctor found it so highly finished that he paid him 1001. The Statuary said this was not enough, and brought in a bill of 1081. 2s. Dr. Askew paid this demand even to the odd shillings, and then inclosed the receipt to Mr. Hogarth to produce at the next meeting of Artists.-Sydenham's very excellent bust in the College of Physicians cost 100l. He "Martin Folkes, esq. the last of my deceased principal patrons, was a friend and intimate acquaintance of the other three. had made the grand tour of Europe, not in the younger part of his life, but after his marriage. He travelled with part of his family and servants, at a pro er age to make just observations, and gather all the commendable parts of the learning, customs, and manners, of the countries through which he passed, in order to refine and polish those of his own. He travelled not in haste, as is the general custom; but proceeded slowly, and spent what time was necessary to inform himself of all that was worth notice and, indeed, he seemed to have attained to universal knowledge; for, in the many opportunities I have had of being in his company, almost every part of science has happened to be the subject of discourse, all of which he handled as an adept in each. He was a man of great politeness in his manners, free from all pedantry and pride, and, in every respect, the real unaffected fine gentleman. "The loss of four personages so truly noble, so good, so great, and every way so highly accomplished, in the small space of three or four years, was an event that greatly humbled me. I imagined, that after such a loss to arts and sciences in general, and to myself in particular, all endeavours to excel in any branch of knowledge would be fruitless, and of little avail to its author, for want of eminent men to inspire the rising generation; and VOL. V. I thought Y publick by causing engravings to be made from them, as they contain a great number of English as well as foreign birds, and other animals, hitherto not accurately delineated or described. After the publication of the last work, being arrived at his 70th year, and finding his sight begin to fail, he retired to a small house which he had purchased at Plaistow; previous to which, he disposed of all his copies and plates of his works. Having completed his 80th year, emaciated with age and sickness, he died July 23, 1773, deservedly lamented by a numerous acquaintance. His remains were interred in the church-yard of West Ham, his native parish, where his executors have placed, on an upright stone in the South East part of the church-yard, the following inscription: "Here lieth interred the body of GEORGE EDWARDS, Esq. F. R. S. who departed this life the 23d day of July, 1773, aged 81 years; formerly Librarian to the Royal College of Physicians, in which capacity, as well as in private life, he was universally and deservedly esteemed. His Natural History of Birds will remain a lasting monument of his knowledge and ingenuity." The Linnæan Index, his papers from the Philosophical. Transactions, with the plates relative to these subjects, all new engraved, were published by Mr. Robson in 1776, in a proper size to bind with his other Works. To the Linnæan Catalogue is prefixed a letter addressed to Mr. Robson, from Linnæus himself, wherein he concludes "evolvi immortale Opus Edwardi, adposui raptim meas no I thought of discontinuing any farther progress in Natural History: but the national spirit for the promotion of learning and arts, in the establishment of that grand repository and immense fund of science, the British Museum, has in some measure revived the passion for learning and useful knowledge; and I hope these seeds, sown by public authority, cherished and protected by a Prince distinguished for virtue and learning, will take root, spring up, and yield a plentiful harvest," G. E. menclaturas menclaturas ad mandatum tuum: tibi fausta omnia adprecor." A print of Mr. Edwards, engraved by J. S. Miller in 1754, after a painting by Dandridge*, is a most striking likeness. He left two sisters, to whom he bequeathed the fortune acquired by assiduous application to his favourite pursuits; they died, not long after their brother, within a few hours of each other, and were buried together. Very soon after the publication of the preceding article in the first edition of this work, I received the following Letter from a Friend with whom I had for many years the pleasure of passing very frequently some of those hours of rational conviviality, which, while they gladden the heart, rub off the fatigues and soften the asperities of life †. *The son of a house painter; he had great business from his felicity in taking likenesses. Walpole's Anecdotes, vol. IV. p. 53, Svo; vol. III. p. 439, 4to. In the Obituary of the Gentleman's Magazine for 1806 the loss of this intimate friend is thus recorded: "James Robson, esq. was born in the year 1733, at Sebergham, in Cumberland, where his family had been settled from antient times in the respectable condition of Yeomen; a class of men now nearly worn away by causes not necessary here to enumerate, but from whom whatever is estimable and substantial in the English character might easily be traced. He was educated at a neighbouring grammarschool; and at the age of 16 came to London, under the protection of his relation Mr. Brindley, then an eminent bookseller in New Bond-strect, publisher of a beautiful edition of the Latin Classicks, which still bears his name. Mr. Robson succeeded him in business in 1759, which he carried on for more than 40 years, with integrity, fame, and profit. He entered the career of active life with all the advantages of a solid and pious education, habits of frugality without meanness, a persevering industry, and manners peculiarly liberal and obliging, free alike from the pernicious and offensive vanity of assuming the habits of the higher ranks, or the insolent affectation of contemning them. He soon obtained the friendship and patronage of the principal Literati, and many of the most elevated characters of his time, particularly the Clergy, among whom we might enumerate nearly the whole Prelacy for the last 50 years, as having favoured him with their countenance and kindness. Soon after he settled in business he made a considerable addition to his domestic comforts and his property, by marrying the only daughter of Mr. Perrot, an eminent builder in the neighbourhood of Grosve DEAR SIR, New Bond-street, Dec. 10, 1782. I HAVE read, and am still reading, when my numerous avocations will permit me, your "Anecdotes of Mr. Bowyer." Your candour and impartiality throughout the whole I admire; but in the account of a valuable old Friend of my own, you seem to have a little deviated from it. The Life I allude to, is that of Mr. George Edwards, the Father of all Ornithologists. His Life, such as it is, was written by your humble servant, from anecdotes occasionally communicated to me at our different meet nor-square, by whom he had a numerous family. His eldest son, James, unhappily lost his life, at the age of 20 years, by a fall from his horse, while on a visit to his uncle at Sebergham; an affliction to his father which Time, the balm of sorrow, had never healed. An elegant and affectionate poetical tribute to this youth's memory, by Mr. Jerningham, is preserved in Gent. Mag. vol. LV. p. 439. His second son, George, was educated at Queen's College, Oxford, the leading members at that time being his father's particular friends. Here he took the regular degrees; and, entering into holy orders, became domestic chaplain to Dr. Horsley, a Prelate whose warm benevolence was only exceeded by his undaunted integrity and profound extent of learning. By his Lordship, when Bishop of Rochester, he was presented to the rectory of Snodland, in Kent, 1799; and afterwards, when Bishop of St. Asaph, to a prebend of that cathedral, and the vicarage of Chirke. Mr. Robson had also five daughters; the marriage of one of whom is mentioned in Gent. Mag. vol. LXXIII. p. 691, and LXXIV. p. 573; and of another in vol. LXXIX. p. 579; the other three are single.—Mr. Robson was the re-builder, and sole proprietor of Trinity-chapel in Conduitstreet, now inherited by his son (which, though locally situated in the parish of St. George, Hanover-square, is a chapel of ease to St. Martin's). After the death of his eldest son, whom he had intended to succeed him, Mr. Robson gradually withdrew himself from business; and was appointed, about the year 1797, by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, high bailiff of the city and liberty; but resigned it some time before his death. He was also in the commission of the peace for the county of Middlesex, in which he had considerable property.-In 1788, accompanied by his friend James Edwards, esq. of Pall Mall, Mr. Robson undertook a journey to Venice, on purpose to examine the far-famed Pinelli Library, the Catalogue of which made six octavo volumes. This library, by a bold and successful speculation, he secured, by offering a price for it which the executors and trustees found it their interest to accept; and during the severe winter which followed, the books were, not without much hazard from the sea, brought safely to London; and sold by auction, in the following year, at the |